Hello lions!

I had the utter pleasure and divine good luck to work my floral + ambiance magic on my dearest friend Miranda’s wedding back in May.

I can safely say that this was one of the dandy-est weddings I’ve ever been to or been involved in.

Dandy touches I loved:

• The bride + groom got married at the camp they both worked at in a breathtakingly beautiful outdoor chapel overlooking a lake outside of Boomer, North Carolina. Outdoor venues are my personal favorites, lions, especially summer camps. Those of you who have worked at one know why; it’s truly your summer home no matter what!

• The reception was at Wilderness Lodge right up the road, which wasn’t your traditional reception venue. Great food, great music, lots of love…it rocked.

• The favors! Miranda + Keith game away little .75 ounce jars filled with locally produced North Carolina honey.

• THE FLOWERS! I ADORED THESE FLOWERS! Miranda gave me the instructions of garden with some oomph in her colors of hot pink and clover green. The results?

Gorgeous if I do say so myself.

I wish I had gotten a really good picture of the wrap we did on the bridesmaids’ bouquets; they were braided natural rope wrapped about 2 inches down the handle.

More pictures can be found on my picasaWeb site, and I’ll be adding to it as more pictures come my way.

Keep pushing the envelope of love, lions!

Love to you,

Amanda

got a floral design question? pick my brain at amanda@dandylionevents.com

Hello my darling lions!

It’s local feature Friday yet again, and I’m so excited to feature a business near and dear to my heart here in beautiful Asheville. Casey and Grace of Dang Salon are incredibly creative, cognizant, and cutting edge when it comes to your look.

Dang Salon is located in Asheville’s River Arts District (which, at its core, is one of the coolest places to hang out in the entire city) in the Phil the Mechanic building, which houses a multitude of artists from a wide range of disciplines.

I know…not where you think you could find the best place to get your hair transformed into something amazing, is it? Well, you step inside…

…and awaiting you is an oasis of hair care and style!

The girls at Dang only use Paul Mitchell products, especially since a wide range of their products are vegan and environmentally friendly. Not only does that benefit the environment, but for those of us who, ahem, encourage our hair to stay a certain shade, it doesn’t completely wreck and ravage your hair.

The decor in the shop is delightfully funky and fun. Instead of sitting in squeaky vinyl chairs under the dryer, they have a set of mustard yellow wing chairs straight out of the past that are extremely comfortable.

Beyond the furnishings, you have two talented stylists who really listen to what their clients want and need. Grace, the tamer of my tresses, is the only stylist I know of that makes my hair BEHAVE. See, I have very thick, very wavy, coarse hair that I keep auburn (which yes, is pretty close to my natural hair color…even though I haven’t seen it in 10 years) and love to have it voluminous. Most stylists thin it out, chop it off, flat iron it into submission, and try to give me blond highlights.

Grace listens to what I want, gives her own feedback, and I turn her loose on my head of hair. For example, it’s springtime here in the mountains, so I wanted to add some oomph to my dark auburn mane. We broke out the color book, found a couple shades we both loved (that would work with my redhead skin), and Grace went to town!

She glazed it (a semi-permanent color that washes out over 6-8 weeks that allows natural tones and shades to come through) with an intense cherry-bomb red that keeps it its “natural” auburn under the fluorescent lights of my office building, but becomes this gorgeous mass of nearly-fire-engine-red when I’m outside. She also trimmed up my top-most layer and neatened up my bangs, along with very loosely pin-curling my hair while it dried. The result?

Vavoom! Pure 70’s movie star magic! I love how it moves, feels, and the fact I can recreate this look at home! And yes, my darling lions, these two fierce ladies do some AMAZING bridal hair. They take your hair and, while staying true to your sense of style, transform it into the best it can be!

AND, as Asheville is an emerging city, Dang does NOT charge out the nose for their services. They are affordable but, honestly, I would recommend them solely on the basis of the quality of care.

So please, darling lions, consider giving Grace or Casey a call next time you’re having a hair emergency, a crisis of color, or want something truly dandy and unique for your wedding or special occasion. They rock!

(Grace, the guru of my hair!)

Contact Grace Tasedan or Casey McCuller @ 828.225.3225 and let them completely rejuvenate your hair!

Pushing boundaries as always, with love,

Amanda
give me a roar: amanda@dandylionevents.com

Good day, my darling lions!

Have you entered our very dandy giveaway yet? If not, click here to read about our amazing give-away!

You know floral design is something near and dear to my design-y, ambiance-y heart. I see so many brides choosing the same-old, same-old when it comes to bouquets. You know what I’m talking about…hand tied with ribbon, spherical mixed mounds of flowers. I’ve made so many of these, I could probably whip one up in my sleep.

Alright, lions, time to toss those mass-produced bouquets. You’re unique, you’re quirky…why can’t the flowers you carry down the aisle reflect this? Here are some different shapes and variations on the traditional that you can try!

Love that round shape but want something different?

Okay, let’s start with something akin to the in vogue design. A biedermeier bouquet is comprised of concentric circles of individual colors and flowers…kind of like a floral bulls-eye! These bouquets are very formal in feel and design and work really well with a very traditional looking gown.

Scale down that round bouquet and you have a nosegay. Nosegays are teeny little bouquets (very Victorian in feel and look) comprised of smaller flowers, greenery, and sometimes mounted in a tussy-mussy (a little metallic holder…very cute and very vintage!).

Are you wearing your grandmother’s dress from the 1940’s or 50’s? A ballerina bouquet is a sweet tip of the hat to your nana. Instead of lots of flowers, this uses tulle, fabric, ribbon, and greenery to create the illusion of a bouquet with only a few flowers woven in.

Now, take your typical round bouquet and tug on it. A teardrop bouquet is based on the same shape, but with some length towards the bottom. This style can draw attention to an intricately beaded and embellished bodice.

Take that length a step father to the super-romantic, dramatic cascade bouquet. Short brides, beware…cascades might make you look short. However, for those of us comfortable in our short stature, these bouquets are romance all wrapped up in one neat package! Princess Diana rocked one of these when she got married, so if you’re looking for a royal wedding, choose one of these.

Next is my personal favorite as far as the round bouquet family goes. A composite bouquet is a large flower that is assembled by gluing or wiring petals together to make a larger flower. In one of my earlier posts, I referenced a duchess rose I created out of eighteen individual roses. You can also make a glamelia (a camellia made out of gladiolus florets) or a galax rose (made out of galax leaves wired together).

Not a roundy-moundy girl?

Consider taking a page from yours truly and having a presentation bouquet draped across your arm. You can channel your inner Miss America with this bouquet. I carried a bouquet of bells of Ireland, jade roses, Tropicana roses, mango calla lilies, super green carnations, lily grass, and one very sneaky red carnation that draped across my arm. I loved it because I had a very heavily beaded bodice and chiffon overskirt that split at an Empire waistline, and I didn’t want to disguise that. Besides, I’m the floral + ambiance lioness!

Pomander bouquets aren’t just for flower girls anymore. These little orbs of flowers leave your hands free to hug friends and family, but when hung on a shepherd’s crook, double as reception décor. Double duty means less cost, dear lions!

Going with the same idea of keeping your hands free, a wrist bouquet would look amazing. No, this isn’t your traditional ribbon and lace corsage. Instead, think of a few flowers woven with my favorite tool, deco wire, cascading off your wrist with a shower of crystals and petals. It’s fun, funky, and far from traditional.

I hope I’ve given you some ideas of different ways to accessorize with flowers for your weddings. So I challenge you again dear lions, as I always do, push that envelope! Don’t settle for the same old, same old; expand your floral boundaries! I’ll be right here to help you along the way.

Unbridled love,

Amanda

floral + ambiance lioness

want to pick my brain? e-mail me at amanda@dandylionevents.com

Hello, my darling lions!

Do you know what I think is the hardest part of starting to plan your wedding/party? Picking your color palette tops the list, especially if you’re a design- nut like yours truly. My own wedding went through three different palette changes before I finally settled on one! Here are my quick tips for forming a jaw-dropping color palette that will transform your fête into a very dandy celebration!

Find the color that you can’t live without!

Close your eyes. What’s the one color that always makes you smile; that one color that seems to speak to you? It could be the color of your first bicycle or car, or maybe that color you always dressed in as a child, or even the colors of your alma mater! For example, a bride very near and dear to my heart loved the color purple. She didn’t want to wear an ivory colored dress (she was Snow White-esque pale with long dark hair and naturally red lips…gorgeous girl!), and her husband-to-be wasn’t wild about bridal white. Her reply was “Well fine, I’m going to wear purple,” and boy, did she live up to her threat. I loved her wedding colors; dusky Victorian lilac, intense royal purple, light green, and onyx. They really lived up to her rocker-chick vibe!

Got that color? Now break out your color wheel!

A color wheel is an artist’s best friend. I have one I keep in my floral toolbox for design purposes and for when I’m having a brain-block moment when trying to come up with centerpiece ideas. A great online color wheel is located at Colors on the Web. Got your color? We’re going to use dusky slate (hex value #B3C5D0, which is a toned down version of sky blue) for our base color.

Okay, look 180 degrees away (directly across the color wheel) and mark that color. That’s your complimentary color (e.g. red-green, purple-yellow), which you’ll need for these next color combinations. Our complimentary colors are the tints, tones, and shades around warm peach (hex value #FFB183).

Monochromatic colors are within tints, tones, and shades of your base color. So, for our dusty slate color, some monochromatic colors are cerulean blue, silver, white, and sky blue.

Analogous colors are directly next to each other on the color wheel, like purple and blue or yellow and orange. These ensure you stay in the same color family. So, back to our slate; add soft blue-greens and true greens into your color palette.

Triadic colors high-energy colors that are found by choosing three colors that are separated by 120 degrees on the color wheel. The primary (red, blue, and yellow) and secondary (purple, orange, green) colors are examples of triadic colors. With our slate blue, we have spring green and dusky rose thrown into the mix.

Tetradic colors take the color wheel to the next level! Locate your color on the color wheel and draw a rectangle/square with your color as the first corner. These four values (e.g. blue, green, yellow, and red) are tetrad colors. Our slate blue is tetradic from spring green, dusky rose, and lilac purple.

Split complimentary color is a variation of the complementary color scheme. In addition to the base color, it uses the two colors adjacent to its complement (like blue, orange, yellow, and red). Our slate would be split complementary to peach, tan, silver, white, and sky.

Now you’ve got some schemes. Time to mix and match!

I’m a firm believer in using tints, tones, and shades to your advantage. If you’ve got one soft pale color, don’t be afraid to pump up the intensity on your remaining color values. For example, I chose Tennessee orange as my focal color which has always been my favorite summertime color (for multiple reasons), which is a coppery-orange. Being a bit more daring, I went with a tetradic color scheme and used lime green and orange with little touches of turquoise and magenta over black dresses and linens. I wanted a dress that my girls would use again and again, so I picked a black tea-length dress, and black is a wonderful neutral that makes any color pop.

My one big piece of advice is DON’T BE AFRAID OF COLORS! Pshaw, don’t stick to two colors. Push the envelope as hard as you can, lions! Love purple but want red dresses? Throw purple against oranges and reds in a bouquet for an intense pop of color!

Until next time, dearest lions, I encourage you to keep pushing that envelope and enjoy your colorful celebrations!

Unbordered love,

Amanda

floral + ambiance lioness

say g’day: amanda@dandylionevents.com

hello lions,

lighting is everything. i got the opportunity to discuss this often- overlooked aspect of event planning with blake chaffin, owner and lead designer of nashville event lighting. here is what he had to pass along:

–lighting creates an emotional experience, in the same way that different types of music can effect you. it sets the tone for the room.

–it also determines the energy of the room. moving the lighting and dimming or brightening an area with different moments such as changes in music, cake cutting, or speeches- eliminating the need for a cheesy mc!

–you can highlight assets and play down less attractive areas that may be necessary for your event, such as catering curtains.

– the right lighting can also create depth in a room and enhance the quality of your photographs. some of your other purchases benefit from the right lighting, too: flowers, drapes, food presentation, even the guests. ambient lighting is more flattering which comforts your guests and gives them more confidence, encouraging mingling.

nashville event lighting thrives on being in control of the smallest details. they can create some beautiful effects! one story blake shared was that for one bride, they projected the nashville skyline and moved a simulated moon over the buildings in a four-hour progression. that took creativity and diligence! they can also provide functional lighting, such as brightening a field for parking at a residential event or arranging for the catering staff to see while preparing food in a tent at night.

blake said one challenge they look forward to is making their clients’ ideas into reality.  even though they’ve been to every venue in nashville, every client request is different. they firmly believe though, that whatever you do, is worth doing right. they employ good karma and build relationships with clients and other vendors. they also help with a large scope of charity work in the nashville area- most recently, the lighting and sound at the minnie pearl foundation benefit. they also do the lighting and sound at events throughout the year for progress, inc.- a company that helps mentally handicapped adults learn life and work skills.

to learn more about nashville event lighting and to see some examples of their wok, check out their website at www.nashvilleeventlighting.com

a special thanks to blake for taking the time to remind us how important the right lighting can be!

love,

lindsey

idea + planning lioness

say hello: lindsey@dandylionevents.com

Good morning lovely lions!

We had our first real cold snap over the weekend here in the mountains of Western North Carolina and honestly, I had to refrain from breaking out the multitudinous holiday decorations I have in my arsenal. I am a sucker for the holiday season, no matter what you celebrate (or don’t). Winter weddings have been stuck in a rut for a while, so I’m presenting three variations on a theme for a fabulous fete. I have a vintage Christmas playlist cued up on Pandora, so let’s tackle some color and décor ideas using texture to enhance your event!

Let’s start off with a classic Christmas color combination with a funky vintage flair:

I can already hear the chestnuts roasting on that open fire when I see this combination. It has that traditional red and green combination, but the color palette includes some rich woody brown and some tasty buttercream yellow for contrast. Imagine having your bridesmaids wearing chocolate brown matte satin gowns and carrying traditional kissing balls (aka pomanders) of boxwood, holly berries, and fragrant evergreens like fraser fir, Leland cypress, or juniper, hanging from a buttercream satin ribbon. Instead of Christmas trees or a large altar arrangement, consider having large evergreen topiaries studded with sugared berries and holly boughs.

Are you a non-traditional, funky spouse-to-be who loves autumn colors, but wants to get married in the crisp winter time? Let me introduce you to the idea of combining a little winter cool with the warm of fall’s oranges:

Except for the hit of sky blue, your palette is straight autumn Tuscan sunset. I’ve seen a lot of chocolate browns and coppers being used in décor for this holiday season, which is a throwback to the mid 1970’s. I’d challenge you to use the warm clay color (far right) as your base color for dresses/linens and experiment with flowers in tones of golden yellow, rich orange, with hits of light blue. Confused as what to use? Imagine a over-the-arm arrangement of bella donna delphinium, terra cotta roses, red kangaroo paw, skeleton leaves, wheat, and some loops of sheer gold ribbon at the base for a textural contrast. Concentrate on the usage of dried materials in amongst fresh flowers to give a embodiment to the transition between autumn and winter.

Looking for something a little more 1950’s Audrey Hepburn glam? Cue Rosemary and Bing crooning to each other on “Count Your Blessings” and check out this Tiffany’s tribute:

You could have SO much fun with this combination, and it is very appropriate for a holiday fete. It reminds me of a Vermont winter…can you tell I’m a sucker for the move White Christmas?

Imagine that signature baby blue being used in the wired-posey bouquets of a troupe of black cocktail-dressed ladies (perhaps with blue sashes) in with hints of rich purple and luscious ice white flowers. You could even use white amaryllis for your focal flowers, along with little fluffs of purple allium, delphinium blooms strung on silver wire, and sprays of crystals to give your wedding a marvelous glam feel without being glittery and over the top. Instead of white mini Christmas lights, look outside of that and try the big C9 faceted bulbs strung on large evergreens in LED white or blue. You could use heavy purple linens topped with a blue-and-white runners with black china…such a beautiful contrast of colors.

Well lions, I hope I’ve given you some new ideas about holiday décor ideas, looking outside of the usual Christmas trees, dark red, and white mini lights strung up everywhere. Give your holiday wedding a makeover and think of the impression you’ll make. Until next time, dearest lions!

many thanks to amanda for this wonderful post! you can reach her at eustoma.grandiflora@gmail.com

love, lindsey

say hi: lindsey@dandylionevents.com